Feeling hungry? Well, get your chopsticks ready! Ho Chi Minh City Food Tours are the Tastiest way to Travel around Saigon
With clear bowls of aromatic Pho down one small alley and a bakery with Banh Mi down another, Ho Chi Minh City is foodie heaven. Explore the very best of what Saigon offers foodies by jumping on a food tour in Ho Chi Minh City.
Yes, we are bragging about our award-winning, 5 Star Ho Chi Minh food tours with our witty and charming local guides. Enhance your travel experience with their generosity, knowledge, and Vietnamese hospitality while chowing down on terrific Vietnamese Food.
Who Are We?
Since 2011, Back of the Bike Tours has been taking hungry travelers to some of the best street eats in town to satisfy their hunger for learning and exploring. We absolutely love hospitality, tourism, and above everything else… TASTY FOOD!
We have set the standard for Food Tours in Ho Chi Minh City. We have been celebrated in The Guardian and The New York Times. Our own personal food heroes have toured Saigon with us, like Masterchef, Christine Ha. After even all of that, we’re most proud of the feedback from our wonderful guests on TripAdvisor. You can check out our nearly 3,000 reviews making us a Top Activity and Food Tour in Ho Chi Minh City for 8 years in a row!
Whether you are new to Vietnamese food or a total foodie, Back of the Bike Tours has a food tour for every type of traveler! Learn more about our Motorbike Food Tours and Walking Food Tours below.
Ho Chi Minh City Food Tour – Which one is Right for You?
Ho Chi Minh City is unique because we have two styles of food tours around the city.
The first and most popular option is the Motorbike Food Tour.
Zipping in the traffic of Ho Chi Minh City with a local guide is a thrill. Saigon unfolds and opens up as local guides teach you about culture and sights while cruising on the motorbike.
The other option is a walking food tour, which can make up for its lack of thrill with patience and depth while we explore the city on foot.
If you are feeling nervous about being on a motorbike or want something more budget-friendly, this is a great option to learn more and eat some great Vietnamese food.
Motorbike Food Tours
All of our Motorbike Food Tours have similar aspects: We provide pick up and drop off in the city center. Our team are all English Speaking Driver Guides who are highly trained in safety and customer service. A dedicated Support Team who help our tours run smooth like butter. Digital Photos of your Tour are sent to you within 24 hours after your tour. One of the most important parts of the tour, all Food and Drink is Included in the Price. Every tour has accident insurance coverage.
We can easily accommodate Vegetarians and Food Allergies on our food tours with advance notice. Our tours are suitable for the whole family, and we offer special pricing for children 7 and under riding with their parents and also a discount for kids 7-12 years old.
The difference between our Food Tours are going to be Menu and style. So take a look at each sample menu to see what type of menu and setting you prefer for your trip. If you are looking for a Street Food focused tour our Big Eats & Small Seats and Chef’s Tour will be your best option. If you are looking to try some Tasty Vietnamese Food in a fun comfortable setting then our Taste of Vietnam Night Food Tour will be right up your alley.
Big Eats & Small Seats
Our afternoon saigon food tour by motorbike is focused on family run local vendors and restaurants and generic drugs. These places are often small and tight with little stools. This is a tour we recommend for travelers that want to be thrown into the mix of Saigon’s culture and street food. The menu is diverse and perfect for the afternoon ranging from papaya salad to fresh grilled seafood!
- 1pm – 5pm
- $69/pax
- Sample Menu:
- Green Papaya Salad w/ Dried Beef
- Rice Noodle “Salad” w/ Grilled pork, Fried Spring Rolls and Sweet Fish Sauce
- Vietnamese “Tiny” Pancakes w/ Fresh herbs, and Pickles with dipping Sauce
- Grilled Seafood and Steamed Clams (Shrimp, Scallops, Clams, Snails)
- Sweet Soups w/Coconut Milk and Fresh Fruit
A Taste of Vietnam
Take the city by the horns with a Saigon food tour featuring some hidden culinary gems. This tour is very comfortable for absolutely everyone with good seating and atmosphere suitable for both youthful and senior customers. Our menu is diverse, featuring some hands-on cooking, fresh grilled bbq, and a bowl of whole crab soup that you can only find in Ho Chi Minh City.
- 6pm-10pm
- $77/pax
- Sample Menu
- Fresh Steamed Rice Paper w/Roast Pork, Herbs, and Pickles with 3 Dipping Sauces
- Marinated Bbq Skewers of Beef, Pork, Chicken, and Vegetables
- Crab Soup w/ Homemade Tapioca Noodles
- Vietnamese “Hue” Pancakes rolled in Fresh Vegetables with Sweet Fish Sauce
- White & Black Sticky Rice w/ Coconut Ice Cream, Fresh Fruits, and Homemade Yoghurt
Chef’s Tour
The Ultimate Private Saigon Street Food Tour created by our owner who was a Chef for many years. This is why we call it “Chef’s Tour” because this is the tour we wish we had available in any city we visit in the world. The concept is simple, as much local street food as possible in 5 hours without holding back. We will jump from location to location trying some of our favorite street eats in Saigon while adjusting the menu as much as possible to cater to your tastes and personality.
- 5pm-10pm
- $130/pax
- Sample Menu
- Pho Bo
- Banh Mi Thit Nuong
- Goi Du Du Bo
- Bun Thit Nuong
- Banh Canh Ghe
- Banh Xeo
Walking Food Tours
A Walking Food Tour in Ho Chi Minh City is a great way to get a feel for the vibe of Saigon while tasting its culinary delights and that’s why we created our Saigon Street Food Stroll!
With a great route and excellent guide, you can participate in a walking food tour that can show off the history, culture, and street food.
Our English Speaking Guides will take you through an interesting cultural perspective with discussions about modern society and the Saigonese way of life. Take a breath of the old history of Ho Chi Minh City as we point out and discuss the city layout, design, and architecture along the way. Of course, the main focus of our tour will be to show off delicious Vietnamese cuisine as we journey to some of the best delights available along the way.
A bit different from other walking tours, we will not be using any taxi cabs to get from place to place, we have designed an excellent route that will be at a friendly pace suitable for most anyone. We will meet up at a designated location with the rest of the group before we begin our journey through the city. During the tour, all food and drinks are included and we will also capture digital photos during the trip that we send the next day via email.
In case of rain, our support crew is prepared with rain ponchos and shoe protectors to keep you and your feet dry!
Saigon Street Food Stroll
Explore the heart of Ho Chi Minh City’s District 3 in a walking food tour that will leave you happy, full, and filled with a new appreciation for Saigon’s history and culture. Known as one of the “Top Neighborhoods in the World to Live”. We will take 4km walk eating delicious Vietnamese food while learning more about Saigon’s French Architecture, Modern Society, and the Unique Culture that gives Saigon it’s a special feeling. Our food on this tour is great for beginners looking to explore a safe and delicious way to taste the best of Ho Chi Minh Cities’ tasty delicacies. This walk is medium-level intensity as some of the sidewalks can be uneven or sometimes filled with traffic during rush hour.
- 5pm-9pm
- $38 pax
- Sample Menu:
- Vietnamese “Tiny” Pancakes wrapped w/ Fresh Vegetables and Sweet Fish Sauce
- Vietnamese Baguette a.k.a Banh Mi
- Green Papaya Salad w/ Dried Beef
- Grilled Pork Skewers w/ Roasted Chili Sauce
- Northern Style Beef Pho
- Coconut Water w/ Kumquat Juice
Ho Chi Minh Food Tours Q&A
Student Tours vs. Back of the Bike Tours?
Budget is important and student tours could be appropriate for certain travelers on a tight budget. You should know that these tours are more of a language exchange for students rather than a real tour company. Which is a good thing for the students, but as a professional tour operator, we think they are too risky for a traveler, especially when riding on someone’s motorbike.
The difference in price vs our tour isn’t even comparable if you get sick from dirty street food or have a minor accident which would cost way more in travel time lost or medical expenses.
This is why our price is slightly higher. You can read more about our pricing here.
Is it Safe to Eat Saigon Street Food?
This is going to depend on the locations chosen by your tour operator.
Cheap street food and dirty street food go hand in hand with each other.
That’s why we only use restaurants and vendors that we know and trust. We eat at these food locations multiple times before considering to offer them to our guests.
If there is any slight inkling that the food is not prepared in a safe way, we don’t offer it on our tours.
So, yes, Our food on our tour is safe because we understand food safety. Our owner, Mr. Fredrick, has been certified in Food Safety in the US as requirements by law as a Chef.
We do not recommend for travelers to just eat any food off of the street unless you know what you are looking for in terms of quality of the vendor.
You can read more about where we eat on the tour, for more information.
Is there a Food Tour in Saigon that doesn’t have Street Food?
Our Taste of Vietnam tour at night offers food from mostly small family-owned Vietnamese restaurants. There is one vendor we use on the Taste of Vietnam that is Street food Style, but we actually have the chance to cook the food ourselves so there is no mystery. We have been going there since 2011 and have had no problems when it comes to food safety.
Our other tours do focus more on street food vendors although it’s still a good mix with some shops. We recommend the Taste of Vietnam for anyone very concerned about not wanting to eat street food.
Where Will We Eat?
There are 2 different types of locations that we use on our food tours.
No matter what type of food location we use, Food safety is always our first concern!
The first type of location we use is Street Food Vendors. This is often imagined as a small lady serving one dish on the side of the road or in the alley with small plastic chairs for seating. These types of food tour locations can be exciting for those looking to dive into street food culture. This type of food tour has been allocated as our Big Eats & Small Seats tour that we operate every afternoon. Our Chef’s Tour also offers Street Food Vendors. Many customers absolutely love exploring Saigon’s culinary scene through street food vendors, but we understand it isn’t for everyone.
The second type of Vietnamese food we explore on our food tours are small shops or local restaurants. These small family-owned operations offer tasty and delicious Vietnamese food but a more comfortable atmosphere than street food vendors with small seats. Shops like these with actual kitchens available in the restaurant are able to serve some interesting Vietnamese food that isn’t found at street food vendors in Ho Chi Minh City. Our Taste of Vietnam Tour is catered to using these types of shops, and this tour is recommended for absolutely anyone looking for a fun night out on a Ho Chi Minh Food Tour.
Can you Accommodate Vegetarians?
Absolutely, we can accommodate Vegetarians and Allergies on almost every food tour we offer.
The world has changed for the better with many more people reducing or avoiding meat consumption. Vietnam has a rich culinary background of vegetarian variations of their classic dishes, we do our very best to bring that taste to vegetarians on our tours. We highly recommend our Big Eats & Small Seats and Taste of Vietnam tours for Vegetarians. We have a dedicated support team that help us arrange for vegetarian options for our customers so they can participate in the group with no hiccups.
Ho Chi Minh City Food Tours with Allergies or Food Aversions?
We can accommodate almost every allergy on our food tours. The only allergy that we can not control is MSG. It is commonly used in so many things in Vietnam that it is just impossible to guarantee on a tour.
Is the Ho Chi Minh Food Tour safe?
Yes, our motorbike food tour is safe.
We spend a lot of time in our hiring and training process for all of our guides. Safety is always our #1 priority and we will never allow anyone to drive our customers if they show any signs of not being a strong enough driver who is capable of navigating the streets and escorting our guests. We personally ride with every single one of our drivers to ensure that this is true before we allow any guests on their motorbike.
To help ease minds, we also include a $2500 accident insurance policy for all customers on any of our Motorbike Food Tours! We have never had to use it, but it’s important for every customer to double-check with whoever they are booking with that they are covered.
Why aren’t all Motorbike Food Tours Cheap like Student Tours?
We are not the cheapest tour option in Ho Chi Minh City, but that also isn’t our strategy. We are passionate about being the best, which costs a little bit more, but we think it’s worth it when we compare ourselves to the other guys.
Here is the real deal, behind the scenes pricing that goes on for food tours like us.
Back of the Bike Tours doesn’t have young untrained students picking up customers and shuffling them between random cheap street food vendors. We have set menus and routes that guarantee a great experience for our guests operated by a whole team of trained professional drivers and support crew.
Every single tour has a Tour leader, which is a manager for the tour. These experienced team members relay important tour information to our guests while ensuring our tours are consistently providing excellent customer service and hospitality.
We operate with 1 support team member for every 4 guests on a tour. These team members are crucial to having a smooth tour but also providing safety for our not only our guests but our drivers. Which as their employer, we do our very best to guarantee our drivers safety and comfort in our unique work environment.
Salaries for our leaders, drivers, and support team are some of the highest in the industry, which goes directly against the grain in a niche filled with student drivers offering cheap motorbike tours in exchange for learning English. A motorbike food tour in Vietnam shouldn’t be operated by unskilled, untrained, and underpaid students, it’s just dangerous, illegal, and unprofessional in our opinion.
We work very hard to put together a menu that is delicious and interesting, which I believe given our success has been the strategy that most travelers appreciate. This means our food isn’t as inexpensive as many would think. Yes, there is cheaper food that we could use on our tours, but our passion is serving delicious, tasty, and interesting food which doesn’t always coincide with inexpensive. We also concern ourselves a lot about location, “Will our guests feel comfortable in this setting?”, which means we will opt for a more pricier location if the atmosphere is great.
Besides the obvious operation costs like food and tour salaries, we have a full-time office team who manage bookings, guest relations, and human resources for all of our drivers, leaders, and support team.
Since we are a legal fully licensed tour operator, we have to pay taxes, license fees, office rent, employee and customer insurance, and as you can imagine the list goes on.
Comparing our prices to food tours across the globe, we believe that our tours are extremely competitive, especially when taking into account that our motorbike food tours are an all-inclusive(including beer and cider) trip with a 1:1 guest to guide ratio.
We hope this sheds some light on the price of our motorbike food tours in Ho Chi Minh City and also that we are a company that cares about it’s team members, guests, and providing the best possible experience we can on all of our tours.
How to Book one of your Ho Chi Minh City Food Tours?
We have our booking page here listed with all of our tours and excursions we offer. Select the date and number of guests you are looking for to add the tour to your cart! After basic information is collected for the booking, please submit. We get back to every booking in less than 24 hours all year except for Tet Holiday.
Once your booking has been submitted, please check your email to provide additional information so we can get you covered on our accident insurance. After collecting your information and a deposit(if neccessary for private and larger bookings), we will get your tour confirmed right away.
Ho Chi Minh Food Tours Contact Form
Recommended Reading
A Taste of Vietnam
Big Eats Small Seats
